BOXER, Charles Ralph. Sandown, Isle of Wight 8.3.1904 — St.Albans, Hertfordshire 27.4.2000 (when 96). British Historian of Early Colonial Asia. Son of Colonel Hugh Edward Richard Boxer (d. in war 1915) and Jane Patterson, a naval military family. Grew up in Dorset. Educated at Wellington College and Sandhurst. In 1923-47…
BOUCHET, Jean Venant. Fontenay-le-Comte (Vendée) 12.4.1655 — 1732. Father. S.J. French Missionary in Thailand and India. Jesuit novice 1670. First briefly in Thailand, where he arrived with the French embassy in 1688. When the Jesuits were forced to leave in 1688 he entered Madurai mission. Following Roberto de Nobili’s methods…
BOSWELL, John Alexander Corrie. India (bapt. in Calcutta) 26.10.1835 — Kensington, London 6.1.1872. British (Scottish) Colonial Civil Servant in India. Son of Rev. Robert Bruce Boswell (1804–1860) and Susan Anne Carnegie (1813?–1892). From 1855 in Madras Civil Service. In the early 1870s the Officiating Collector of the Kistnah district, but…
BOUQUET, Alan Coates. Forest Hill, London 24.5.1884 — Cambridge 4.3.1976. Rev. British Scholar of Religion. Son of Robert Coates Bouquet (1842–1928), Registrar to the Art Union of London, of Huguenot descent, and Elizabeth Stow. After St.Dunstan’s College (London) and London University College studies at Cambridge (Trinity College): B.A. 1905, M.A. 1910,…
BORROW, George Henry. East Dereham, Norfolk 5.7.1803 — Lowestoft, Suffolk 26.7.1881. British Author interested in Gypsies. Son of Thomas Borrow (1758–1824), an army recruiting officer, and Ann Perfrement (1772–1858). Educated in Edinburgh and Norwich, for a while also briefly in Ireland, then studied law, but soon turned to languages and…
BOR, Norman Loftus. Tramore, County Waterford 2.5.1893 — London 22.12.1972. Irish Botanist. Son of Edward Norman Cavendish Bor (1861–1931) and Mabel Thornton. Educated in Kilkenny and Dublin, studied medicine at Trinity College, but in 1914 joined the army. War service in Greece and Palestine, wounded 1916. B.A. 1921 and M.A.…
BOMFORD, Trevor. Bembridge, Isle of Wight 18.11.1849 — India 21.12.1929. Rev. British Missionary in India. Son of Major Samuel Bomford (1813–1898) and Frances Jane Winter. Studies at Cambridge (Corpus Christi College) and Durham University (M.A.). Ordained 1874. Worked for Church Missionary Society in Multan and Peshawar. Married 1883 Jane Catherine Charlotte…
BOCARRO, Antonio. Abrante (or Lisbon?) 1594? — Goa 1643?. Portuguese Historian and Geographer. Son of New Christian parents (with Jewish background), parents Fernão Bocarro, a physician, and Isabel Nunes. Educated at Jesuit College Santo Antão in Lisbon. In 1615-38 served in India, first as soldier in Goa and Cochin, finally…
BLUNT, Edward Arthur Henry. Curepipe, Mauritius 14.3.1877 — Fleet, Hampshire 29.5.1941. Sir. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Frances Theophilus Blunt (1837–1881, later Commissioner of the Seychelles) and Emily Rainsford. Educated at Marlborough College, then studies at Corpus Christi College (Oxford, B.A.) and University College (London). From 1901 served…
BLIN, Amédée. 1799? — 18??. French Colonial Officer. Still in Paris, he had some months attended the Hindustani classes of Garcin de Tassy. From 1823 (if not earlier) served in Pondichéry (1831 mentioned as Lieutenant of the Cypahi Battalion). His dictionary is “dédié à Mr. le Ministre de la Marine”.…